Finding a caster that doesn't want to be found

[ILM]

In the campaign I'm working on, the BBEG is a Necromancer that's been hiding for a thousand years. I imagine his lair to be underground, out of the way. He starts spreading undeath in the beginning of the campaign but mostly works by proxy. Most of his minions are undead or dominated. Extremely few know who he is, let alone where he dwells.

How the hell are my PCs supposed to find him then, without my dropping massive hints? I've thought about:
- following his minions: like I said there are few
- tracing Onyx mines (creating all those undead requires a lot of it): he's had a thousand years to stock up...
- collating all the reports of spottings of undead and trying to find a point of origin: if he's smart he won't leave obvious patterns like this
- contact other plane: for the moment, let's assume that doesn't work
- ancient texts revealing past confrontations against him: he's had a thousand years to move his lair

So how? I have an alternate idea to get to him, but I'd like to have some options if my players want to go the intelligence route and locate him before he locates them.

[Rising Phoenix]

In the campaign I'm working on, the BBEG is a Necromancer that's been hiding for a thousand years. I imagine his lair to be underground, out of the way. He starts spreading undeath in the beginning of the campaign but mostly works by proxy. Most of his minions are undead or dominated. Extremely few know who he is, let alone where he dwells.

How the hell are my PCs supposed to find him then, without my dropping massive hints? I've thought about:
- following his minions: like I said there are few
- tracing Onyx mines (creating all those undead requires a lot of it): he's had a thousand years to stock up...
- collating all the reports of spottings of undead and trying to find a point of origin: if he's smart he won't leave obvious patterns like this
- contact other plane: for the moment, let's assume that doesn't work
- ancient texts revealing past confrontations against him: he's had a thousand years to move his lair

So how? I have an alternate idea to get to him, but I'd like to have some options if my players want to go the intelligence route and locate him before he locates them.

I guess Knowledge (history)? Was he more active in the past? Perhaps a Dragon, Trent, Elemental Weird, Elf, Fey, some other long lived creature knows of him? (aka quest to find said long lived being and ask)

[Alaris]

In the campaign I'm working on, the BBEG is a Necromancer that's been hiding for a thousand years. I imagine his lair to be underground, out of the way. He starts spreading undeath in the beginning of the campaign but mostly works by proxy. Most of his minions are undead or dominated. Extremely few know who he is, let alone where he dwells.

How the hell are my PCs supposed to find him then, without my dropping massive hints? I've thought about:
- following his minions: like I said there are few
- tracing Onyx mines (creating all those undead requires a lot of it): he's had a thousand years to stock up...
- collating all the reports of spottings of undead and trying to find a point of origin: if he's smart he won't leave obvious patterns like this
- contact other plane: for the moment, let's assume that doesn't work
- ancient texts revealing past confrontations against him: he's had a thousand years to move his lair

So how? I have an alternate idea to get to him, but I'd like to have some options if my players want to go the intelligence route and locate him before he locates them.

Okay, so you've established (at least to this thread) that he is afraid, or EXTREMELY CAUTIOUS, and does not work openly. He has kept his lair hidden extremely well, to the point that the normal world has no clue where he is.

Well, if the PCs encounter some of his undead minions, or more preferably, one of his DOMINATED minions, they can hopefully manage to NOT KILL the dominated minion.

A few simple dispel magics can free the dominated minion, and while he might not be able to direct the party TO the Necromancer directly, he could direct the party to an Onyx Mine, or perhaps to a higher-up minion who MIGHT know where the Lair lies.

Another way does involve dropping hints. It would be stupid to believe that this "All Powerful Necromancer" is perfect, and would not accidentally leave clues as to where his lair is, unknowingly. They are out there, in the world, for the PCs to find. Perhaps an NPC already has found some of these clues, and will not give them up to the PCs for free. He needs something done for them. You can easily tie that into the main quest, make it more interesting that way.

Honestly, there are dozens, even hundreds of ways to get this information to the players. No creature is infallible (Sans for perhaps, a Deity), so he will leave SOME trace. Most of the world is simply unaware, or doesn't care enough to look into it.

[Gnaeus]

- contact other plane: for the moment, let's assume that doesn't work
- ancient texts revealing past confrontations against him: he's had a thousand years to move his lair

So how? I have an alternate idea to get to him, but I'd like to have some options if my players want to go the intelligence route and locate him before he locates them.

Even assuming that he is protected from scrying, spells like commune or COP can still have a role. Questions like: Is there anyone on "landmass" who can provide us with information regarding the likely location of "Necromancer"?

(if yes) Is that person on the eastern half of "landmass"? etc

(If no) is there any item or writing on "landmass" which can can provide us with information regarding the likely location of "Necromancer"?

(if yes) Is that item or writing on the eastern half of "landmass"? etc

[Sinfonian]

An important question is what kind of resources, both from the rest of the world and from the characters themselves, are they likely to have at their disposal? Kingdoms? A city? An army? Just themselves? Perhaps they work for someone that's able to do some of the intelligence work that starts them off in the right direction.

Out of curiosity, what level are you looking at for this? That helps determine what methods (especially magical) the players might have access to (aside from NPCs/scrolls) during their search.

[Fluffy Gryphon]

My Cleric players always try to make God Calls when they want a few hints. This sometimes gives them a few pointers, but I don't let it work often. The ancient texts seem good. Perhaps asking a goodly creature (dragons anyone?) that's lived many many years and has heard tales of such a necromancer. That could be a rather formidable adventure in and of itself.

[Tyndmyr]

Step 1. Find out what he cares about.
Step 2. Bait.

[JaronK]

Love's Pain doesn't care about where your enemy is, so I'd use that to kill him. Convince some people they love your enemy, then use Love's Pain to kill the guy.

JaronK

[Gavinfoxx]

Use Divination spells?

http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=394.msg8065#msg8065

Or just Shapechanging into a bunch of different Elemental Weirds and using the divination spells there be sufficient to find him?